Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during the cabinet’s weekly meeting on Wednesday. Photo by Egyptian cabinet.
The decision came during the cabinet’s weekly meeting on Wednesday and marks the completion of the first phase of the UHIS rollout, which began in 2018 to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage for all Egyptians by 2030.
Aswan is the sixth and final governorate in this initial phase, following earlier implementation in Port Said, Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, and Suez.
The phase cost more than EGP 51 billion and is directed largely toward upgrading medical infrastructure.
According to a cabinet statement, non-emergency services will be suspended from 1 January 2026 for residents who have not enrolled or paid their insurance contributions—allowing for a six-month grace period following the system’s launch.
In the next phase, that transition window will be shortened to three months to help ensure the programme’s financial sustainability.
The rollout was approved following coordination with the Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA), the Healthcare Authority, and the General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation (GAHAR).
The cabinet said the move reflects broader state efforts to modernize healthcare and ease citizens' financial burdens.
Next phase and international support
According to UHIA vice chair Ihab Abu Aish, the second phase of UHIS is expected to begin in July and will include the governorates of Damietta, Marsa Matrouh, Kafr El-Sheikh, North Sinai, and Minya.
In February, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, during the authority's annual forum, described UHIS as “the largest structural reform project” in the sector.
Egypt is receiving international support for the programme, including a $1 billion financing facility backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the World Bank, the French Development Agency, and the World Health Organization.
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